New Season, Same Pain

Injured Finger Slow To Heal For Haslem

MIAMI — Given four months to get past the sting of its Game 7 loss to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals, the Heat is finding that the pain lingers.

Power forward Udonis Haslem said he would start training camp the way he ended last season -- with an injured left middle finger.

Haslem played the entire Detroit series with the finger in a splint. While the pain has lessened, discomfort remains.

"It's a lot better than it was," he said after a workout at AmericanAirlines Arena, where camp opens Tuesday. "I can move it. It's still healing a little bit, the tendons. I'll just wrap it up."

Haslem's finger remains bent at an awkward angle, one he fears could be permanent.

"It was six months from when I hurt it, so I guess I've got two more months," he said of the pain in his non-shooting hand. "I mean, as long as I can bend it and take a hit or two on it, I'm all right."

PAINED EXPRESSION

Second-year guard Dorell Wright also enters camp in recovery mode. In his case, though, the pain figures to increase before it is eliminated.

Wright took an elbow to the face from Lakers rookie guard Von Wafer during the third game of the Heat's July summer league in Long Beach, Calif. Since then, the 19-year-old has been in the midst of major dental reconstruction.

"It's going to take about nine or 10 months until it's fixed," he said. "It's a whole big procedure."

Wright said he needs at least three surgeries to his upper jaw, "to get the bone constructed, get an implant and screws put in and taken out."

The 2004 first-round pick plans to remain with the team throughout the treatment cycle and has been a regular at pre-camp workouts, drawing praise from guard Dwyane Wade.

"I can still play," Wright said, "but I'll be out for three or four days after each surgery."

KAPONO SET

The Heat continues to operate under the expectation that forward Jason Kapono will be allowed to bypass the normal seven-day waiting period and join the team in time for Tuesday's starting of training camp.

With Kapono a restricted free agent because he has less than three years in the league, Charlotte, by rule, was given a week to match the offer sheet extended Friday by the Heat. However, with Kareem Rush, Matt Carroll and Keith Bogans already on their roster, the Bobcats have indicated that waiting period would be waived for the 3-point specialist.

Kapono's two-year contract is built off the Heat's $5 million salary-cap exception, with a first-year salary in the $1 million range. In addition to the remainder of the mid-level exception, the Heat also retains its $1.9 million trade exception.

POSTGAME REPORT

A twist at Heat home games this season will be a postgame interview with Sun Sports sideline reporter Jason Jackson that will also will be broadcast live on the arena scoreboard. The interviews with a Heat player will only be conducted after victories. ... The Heat will pay tolls for those headed eastbound on State Road 836 from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday as a reminder that individual tickets go on sale Tuesday. Rookies Matt Walsh are Earl Barron are expected at the toll plaza. ...

The second-round pick forwarded Friday from the Celtics to the Hornets for guard Dan Dickau is one of the two future second-round selections Boston acquired in August from the Heat for Antoine Walker. ... Although teams this preseason are required to hold at least one public scrimmage or practice during camp, the Heat is exempt because all proceeds from its Oct. 10 exhibition at AmericanAirlines Arena are going to hurricane relief.